Final Fantasy: The Chronicles Of Paine
by gigaknight
Summary: A few years after YRP defeated Shuyin, Paine ditches her friends and becomes a spy. However she discovers that an old former ally has plans to ressurect Sin. It's up to her and some old friends to stop this menace. YRP UNITE!
1. Chapter 1: Reloaded

The Chronicles Of Paine

Paine awoke to the sound of an alarm clock at 5:30 in the morning, the sun just barely peeking over the horizon of Luca. She slowly climbed out of bed, rubbing her eyes. Her pet moogle lay on the floor, snoring loudly, oblivious to any indication that there was another person in the room. Paine merely pushed it out of the way and walked out of the room. As she walked down the hall, the phone rang in the kitchen, so she went to answer it. It was her boss, Cid.

"Good mornin', Paine," he greeted in his drawling accent. "I take it you received my e-mail with all of the detailed instructions?" Paine reamined silent. "Good," he continued. "I need you to drop by my office so I can give you all the equipment you will need for the job." Paine still said nothing, as if deaf. "So I take that as a yes?" Cid asked?

"I'll be there," muttered Paine, and she abruptly hung up the phone.

Paine walked into the bathroom and got undressed, and jumped into an icy cold shower. After about ten minutes she emerged, dripping liquid ice everywhere. Quickly driying herself off, she pulled on her outfit, of course, tight leather top and bottom with skull belt and barbed wire necklace, she also strapped on her dual holsters and equipped her two loaded pistols. After she was done in the bathroom, she walked back out into the kitchen, grabbed her keys and left, slamming the door behind her loudly, hoping to wake up her damn lazy moogle, but it remained dormant on the floor.

Paine walked outside and got on her motorcyle starting the engine with a loud roar, she took off down the street, so loud it could have woken the dead. She flew threw one intersection, nearly running down and old lady.

"Damn you young people with yer loud music and fast vehicles!" The old lady screeched. Paine merely flipped the old lady the finger. Blasting faster and faster down the street, she could see shopkeepers putting their goods out for the day to be sold, and some children rushing off to school.

After about ten minutes, Paine pulled into Cid's warehouse, parking her bike in the back of the building. As she climbed off, she saw Cid in one of the windows, waving, though she just stared at him. Paine sort of hated Cid, because he was always in such a cheery mood, which got to be annoying at times.

She walked into the warehoues and Cid greeted her, beaming.

"Welcome,"He said. "I know you don't like to waste alot of time, so I should cut to the important stuff," Paine just nodded. "You see," he continued. "We have a bit of a crisis at hand. There is one suspect who claims that he can bring back Sin,"

Paine interrupted, "Sin was defeated by high summoner Yuna seven years ago today,"

"Well, we know that, but it seems a bit strange that he says he can ressuerect Sin today, when it was killed seven years ago today. Even if he is bluffing, it would not be too good if he goes public and threatens the world of Spira with a stupid lie! This will send the public into a frenzy,"

"I don't know about this...," Paine seemed skeptical.

"And if there is a way to revive Sin," Cid pressed on, "then we must intervene quickly and secretly without anyone finding out about this,"

"So," Paine began, brushing back her silvery black hair, "what do you need me to do about it?"

"We need this person dead and disposed of," he explained.

"Tell me where to sign," replied Paine, loading her twin pistols...

To be continued!


	2. Chapter 2: Paine's Secret

The Chronicles Of Paine Chapter 2

So, Chapter 2, Huh? In this chapter, you will find that Paine has thrown the lukewarm attitude out the window and dropped straight to icy. This is the way Paine was meant to be, though she never could before because of the other girls. So in this chapter, Paine is just "being herself". I hope you enjoy!

**-gigaknight**

"Just take this with you," Explained Cid. He held out a paper with a list of three locations on it. Paine took it from him, eyeing it carefully.

"What is all this stuff?" asked Paine, still reading the list.

"It's a list of possible locations where this person may be hiding out. He has sent several messages regarding Sin to our computer, but we saved the files and traced them to each of these locations. I want you to check them out," said Cid, sipping his coffee.

"What can you pay me for this? I don't want any bullshit pay like last time," stated Paine, glaring at him. Cid was somewhat afraid of Paine, and became uneasy around her at times.

"It shall be double that as of your last paycheck, two hundred thousand gil."

"That's more like it...." she grinned, popping a clip into her pistol.

"Before you get started, I want you to also take this with you. It may come in handy," he handed her a twelve inch platinum coated blade.

"Oh, I like this!" she grinned, balancing the tip of the knife on her index finger.

"Consider that part of your pay," said Cid, scribbling something on a notepad.

"What's that?" asked Paine, pointing at his paper.

"It's the agent who will take your place if you fuck up," he answered.

"I won't fuck up, just have that big bag of money ready for me when I get back."

Paine put her blade in it's sheathe and walked out of the warehouse. Snatching the list out of her back pocket, she decided to go to the first locale on the paper, Kilika port.

Jumping on her bike, she revved the engine loudly and took off into the now brighter streets. She glanced at her watch, which read six thirty am. The sun was glowing a bright crimson, Paine's favourite colour. Just as she was approaching the edge of Luca, she was stopped by a small red figure, flanked my two tall blue creatures. Hypellos, Paine instantly recognised them by their bright yellow eyes, and the short red clothed, bird-like figure was none other than Tobli.

"Tobli, I don't have time for your crap right now, just-", Tobli interrupted her.

"If it isn't the dark and mysterious Paine, yup yup! I have a slight favor to ask you, oh no no it's not much, but it's important, I assure you!" squeeked Tobli in his shrill voice.

"I said I don't have time. Why don't you go bother someone who cares? Like Yuna!" she snapped.

"Oh, you see, that's the problem. Lady Yuna has disappeared, along with the Al Bhed girl, Rikku!" He explained.

"And I suppose you need me to find them for you? I'm in the middle of a very important errand, which could possibly be the fate of Spira! Do you really think that I have time to look for a couple of girls? They're probably just out shopping..." she said, feeling the anger and frustration rising in her voice.

"But Miss Paine!" cried Tobli, pushing her impatience to the limit. "I fear they may be in certain danger!"

"If I do this for you, what will you do for me?" she demanded.

"I can get you a season pass for the blitzball tournament."

"I don't give a crap about that!" she barked.

"Sin," said Tobli.

"What do you know about Sin?" she asked, grabbing Tobli by the scruff of the neck.

"I know you are looking for it, or rather the person who knows where it is," the midget said, choking slightly.

"How do you know I'm a spy?" she asked, tightening her grip on his neck.

"Cid hired me, to make sure you don't mess this up. He also wants you to look for Rikku and Yuna. Now put me down!" he pleaded. Paine dropped him on his head.

"You can tell Cid that I'm on the case, and I won't screw up. You also tell him that if he sends another bird brain like you, I'll carve you like a turkey!" she said, waving her knife around menacingly.

"Yes ma'am!" said Tobli, and he and the two hypellos ran back into town, fading over the horizon.

Should I really worry abou Rikku and Yuna? She thought to herself. Yuna did defeat Sin before, I think she can handle herself and Rikku, but Cid would never let me hear the end of it if something happens to them....plus I doubt he'd pay me. Oh, I'm gonna be kicking myself in the ass for this later.

So now, my mission is to save to runaways, and stop some crazy madman who is hiding a secret about Sin.....Well, the mission isn't gonna complete itself! Looks like I've got some travelling to do!

Paine pulled into Kilika port a couple days later. The town was attacked by Sin seven years ago, but since then it had been rebuilt into a bustling town, full of both young and old people. Paine left her motorcyle by one of the docks and hopped off. She consulted her list of the three locales once more. It seemed that a signal was sent from within Kilika temple. She wandered up and down the busy piers, gazing out over the sea. She noticed there were some old men in fishing boats, catching what appeared to be koi. One of the old men in one of the boats called out to Paine.

"Hey there, beautiful! Wanna party?" The old guy's friend snickered.

"You don't have a girlfriend do you? I bet you've never actually got some action. Maybe your hands smell like fish for some other reason?" Paine replied cooly. The man just scowled at her. A smile spread across Paine's face.

Just after she told the old man off, a big clumsy man walked right into her and fell in the water, the splash so big that it soaked all the people nearby. Paine was annoyed that this guy was so clumsy, though she reached for his hand in the water and helped pull him up. Wiping his wet hair back, Paine immediately recognised him. It was Barthello, an old friend who used to be with New Yevon.

"I'm sorry, about bumping into you like that, ma'am. Oh, it's you, Paine! How have you been? It must've been five years since I saw you last!" He said, hugging her, which seemed much more like a painful headlock from Paine's point of view.

"I was alot better before you started squeezing me," she gasped.

"Oh, I'm sorry." He said, blushing slightly. "So where's Lady Yuna and Rikku?"

"I was actually going to ask you the same thing," she replied. "I'm supposed to be looking for them."

"Oh," said Barthello, wiping water off his face. "I haven't seen them in five years either."

"I see. So how are you and Dona doing?" Paine asked.

"Didn't you hear? We got married last year! Dona invited you three to be bride's maids," he said. Paine shuddered at the thought of dressing up all fancy for a wedding.

"Well, I wish I could stay and chat, Barthello, but I got a job to do," she said, starting to walk away. Barthello grabbed Paine.

"No, you can't go yet! You need to come over for tea!" Barthello beckoned her to his home.

"Oh, maybe just for a few minutes..." said Paine dismissively. She actually wanted to see Dona, so she went along with him.

When they got to the house, Barthello pulled the door open and walked inside, and Paine followed. Inside, the walls seemed to be lined with bamboo, and there was a set of stairs that evidently went up to the roof.

"She's not here....." Barthello murmured, picking up a note off the table.

"Dear Barthello, I had to go to the store to buy groceries, be back later. Love Dona," he read aloud.

"Well, I guess I'll be going then," said Paine, moving to the door. Barthello stopped her.

"Please stay for a while, Paine. I want to hear what's been going on with you! I haven't seen you in five long years!" he begged for her to stay.

"Oh, alright," said Paine, giving up. "Five years ago after Veganagun was defeated and Shuyin was sent back to the Farplane, we went our different ways. Yuna, knowing that her lover had truly left this world, she stopped searching for him and continued being a sphere hunter with The Gullwings onboard their airship. Rikku, on the other hand, left the Gullwings, like myself. Apparently, she is off researching in the Bikanel desert, something about reviving the Al Bhed Civilization. And Me? I'm a hired mercenary working for an elite group of spies. Right now, I'm supposed to be tracking down Yuna and Rikku. I am also supposed to find a potential terrorist. What about you?" Paine asked. Barthello's jaw dropped.

"And this is in the last five years?!" he exclaimed. "Um, ok.....Well, as you knew, me and Dona fell in love. We lived together for quite a while, and we just got married last year. She has been talking to me lately about having a baby. I don't think I'm ready for that! I, the great Barthello, changing diapers?! I think Dona is out of her mind." he said.

"Well, if you truly love this woman, and are prepared for it, I think it would be a great idea. Just don't ever ask me to babysit for you," she laughed.

"Have you ever been in the same situation, Paine? Do you really know what it's like?" he asked.

"Actually I do. I used to love someone, just like you love your wife. We even became engaged, and talked about having a baby. But then, it all went wrong...and..I don't really want to talk about it," Paine said. Barthello could've sworn he saw tears in her eyes, and she wiped them away.

"I need to go now," Paine said, standing up and running for the door.

"Goodbye, Paine," said Barthello softly.

Paine ran out to the docks, feeling tears rolling down her face. She wiped them away, feeling full of sadness and anger. She sat down at the end of one of the docks and dipped her feet in the warm water, staring at her reflection. She looked tired, run down, and miserable. She brushed her hand threw the water to get rid of the image, and she splashed the water on her face, calming her down. She sat there on that dock for what seemed like hours. When she finally looked up, she realized that it had gotten quite late, and the sun was starting to set. Screw this mission, she thought. What's the point? She can't save the world by herself. She pulled her toes out of the water and climbed to her feet. Staring up at the evening sky, she felt a strange feeling. She felt somewhat relieved. She always ran from her feelings, kept herself bottled up. She felt better to have let her emotions out. Now, clearing her mind, she felt that familiar, resilient strength.

"I can save Spira," she said softly. "But I need your help. I will find you, Yuna, and you too, Rikku."

To Be Continued!


	3. Chapter 3: Kilika Woods

**Final Fantasy: The Chronicles Of Paine: Chapter 3**

Wow! It's here! Chapter 3! I'm glad that people are starting to notice my story, which is why I've decided to continue it until the end. I think you'll find that the story will get a bit darker before it gets brighter. So, why did YRP disband? And who is this mysterious ex-fiancee? You'll have to find out for yourself!

"I never want to see you again!" the woman screamed.

"Well that's fine with me because I hate you!" the man shot back.

"Get the hell out of my house!" the woman yelled, throwing a vase at the man. The man walked out of the apartment, and slammed the door behind him so hard it broke off the hinges. The woman ran into her bedroom, collapsed on the bed and cried, her heart broken, anger and despair welling up inside her. She got off of the bed, and stared outside, watching him limp across the street, cane in hand. She hated him, and he had been cheating on her with an old girlfriend. She buried her face in her hands, crying. She was conflicted, feeling anger, guilt, sadness. She was a mess, and didn't know what to do.....

Paine woke up in the inn that night in a cold sweat. Evidently, she just had a nightmare. Gasping for air, she sat up and looked at her watch. 4:30 am. She glanced outside and saw that the rest of the town was sleeping, like a ghost town. She could hear the ocean outside her hotel room, as the waves bashed into the docks.

Feeling as though she would not be able to get back to sleep, she got out of bed and walked outside to pay the bill for the room. When she was finished paying, she walked out to the dock where she had left her motorcycle. She figured that it was still a bit too early to be riding that, so she decided to walk instead. Paine walked towards the northern end of town towards Kilika Forest, and onward through to Kilika Temple.

About ten minutes later, she found herself at the gates to the forest. The town of Kilika evidently built this gate to keep fiends out of the town, so that they could not harm innocent townsfolk, though five years ago, New Yevon was trying to prevent the Youth League from gaining access to the temple. New Yevon had in their possession a movie sphere of none other than Vegnagun, a deadly machina.

Paine heedlessly walked through the gate towards the forest, watching cautiously for fiends. She decided to keep her pistols ready, so she pulled them out of her holsters. Continuing forward, she heard what sounded like children playing deep in the woods. She felt curious, though she had a knack for sensing trouble, and remained cautious. Walking deeper into the dark, misty woods, the voices grew louder. Then, from the right, Paine saw a small figure scamper across the pathway in front of her. And then, another passed, going the other way. Confused, Paine glanced around to see what was going on. And then, out of the nowhere, she felt something collide into the back of her head. And then, she fell, feeling herself being pulled into a peaceful slumber, felt the darkness closing in all around.

When Paine regained consciousness, she saw three sets of eyes, staring at her. Panicking, she reached for her guns, but realized they had been taken. She jumped to her feet, feeling nervous.

"Who are you?" she asked. The three children remained quiet, though one of them took a book of matches from his pocket. He lit it, and then lit a torch, which was held by one of the others. Their faces now visible in the glow from the fire, Paine recognised the three, and felt stupid for being afraid. It was the Kinderguardians. A trio of sphere hunters, led by Isaaru's younger brother, Pacce.

"Why did you knock me out?" Paine demanded, rubbing a lump on the back of her head.

"We thought you were a fiend," Pacce explained.

"What ever happened to Isaaru?" Paine asked.

"He quit his job working at the Zanarkand Ruins, and now, he breeds lupines and races them at the Calm Lands." Pacce said.

"Of all people..." Paine scoffed. "What are you three doing out here this early?"

"Somebody said there were bad people in the temple doing bad things. Something about ressurecting Sin..." Pacce explained.

"Do you know anything about it?" Paine asked.

"I heard that the person is immortal, and that they have the power to summon Aeons, OR Sin. I also heard that in order to bring Sin back, they must retrace High Summoner Yuna's steps from her pilgrimage from Besaid Island to the Ruins Of Zanarkand."

"How does a little boy and his friends come about information like that?" Paine asked.

"I overheard it last night at a restaurant. A strange man was talking to somebody on a cell phone about bringing Sin back from the dead. He also said that he was trailing a spy, working for an Al Bhed man..." Pacce told her.

"Do you remember what this man with the cell phone looked like?" Paine asked.

"He wore a pointed leather hat on his head, and a blue robe. I couldn't make out his face except for two bright yellow eyes. He looked like a black mage."

"I'm gonna need those guns back now," she ordered, standing up. Pacce handed them to her and she put them away.

"So do you know if this black mage is still around?" Paine asked.

"He said he needed to keep following some spy, so he is probably wherever the spy is".

Paine glanced around, feeling uneasy. "What's wrong?" Pacce asked.

"Nothing, I need to go. Goodbye kids," Paine walked back towards town, breaking into a sprint. She was becoming paranoid, and could feel herself being watched, though she acted as if no one was there. She needed to get out of town, fast, and lose the tail.

She ran through the gates, and back towards the inn. She ran into the lobby to a payphone, and called Cid. It was about 5:30, so he would be wide awake. The phone rang a couple of times, and just when she was about to hang up, Cid answered the phone.

"Yeah, this is Cid here," he spoke in his loud voice. Paine had to move the phone away from her ear slightly.

"Cid," Paine responded. "What the hell is going on?" she demanded.

"What are you talking about?" Cid answered.

"Don't give me that bullshit, Cid. You know something, and you're keeping it from me!" she angrily yelled.

"I really don't know what you're talking about!" Cid shot back, wondering what was going on.

"Well, it turns out that our suspect is immortal, they can summon aeons, and they're headed for Zanarkand! And just moments ago, I learned that somebody is following me!" she felt the anger rising in her voice, and she clenched her teeth.

"Who's following you?" Cid asked.

"I don't know. All I know is that he wears a leather hat, a blue robe and has bright yellow eyes. He's supposed to be a black mage. He was talking to his boss on a cell phone, he talked about following a spy. Know anything about this?"

"You mean Tobli? He told me you told him to stop following you."

"So you really didn't know?" Paine asked.

"No, I only sent Tobli and a couple hypellos, but they came back, told me that you were fine on your own." Cid explained.

"I need you to look this guy up in the computer, see if he fits any descriptions", asked Paine.

"I'll see what I can find, but until I do, you need to go to track down Rikku and Yuna, get this mission back on track and get to Zanarkand before this maniac does. And Paine? Watch your back," Cid said quietly, hanging up the phone.

**TBC!**


	4. Chapter 4: Firaga

**Final Fantasy: The Chronicles Of Paine**

**Chapter 4**

**It seems to be somewhat confusing that my story technically has 6 chapters including this one, and it's been causing a bit of trouble. Two of these chapters are mere author's notes, and while I know it's bad to put them in the middle like this, I felt it was necessary. So try not to imagine the notes as real chapters, and that this is only chapter 4. Also, thank you to all my readers for your patience. This has been a complicated chapter, not to mention story. In this chapter, you may notice the plot is starting to come together, and some parts are making a bit more sense. Also keep a sharp eye for cameos!**

**-gigaknight**

The girl and the young man ran down the labyrinthene corridors, evading the soldiers who were hot on their heels. The girl held onto the young man's hand as she tried to keep up with him. They could hear angered yells erupting behind them, and could feel the enemies getting closer and closer. After running around in the maze for what seemed like hours, they emmerged in a wide open room. They kept running, along a narrow corridor to the centre of the room. In the centre of the room stood a massive machina weapon, which had been slumbering deep beneath Bevelle. The soldiers stopped behind the couple, raised their rifles and took aim.

The young girl looked into her lover's eyes, and he stared back at her, preparing for what was to come. He stared the soldiers down with unmatched bravery, still holding his girlfriend's hand. He was determined to protect her, with his life if necessary. An explosion erupted from within the soldier's rifles, and the enemies fired several shots into the couple. Both of them fell to the floor, staring at eachother. The girl's eyes filled with tears, while her lover reached for her hand with his last ounce of strength, as their relationship was lost in fate.

Yuna awoke from her dream, which she had been having frequently lately. Vegnagun was destroyed, Shuyin and Lenne had been reunited, and the Spira was at peace. Though she still longed to see him again. She pulled herself out of bed and walked downstairs. Barkeep gave Yuna a hearty wave of his blue paw.

"Mish yoona, ish everything alright?" the hypello asked.

"I'm fine, Barkeep," Yuna replied, trying to cover her sadness with a fake smile. She continued towards the lift, when he spoke again.

"Mish yoona ish having problemsh?" the hypello spoke in his odd accent.

"No, I couldn't be better!" Yuna smirked half-assed. The hypello shook it's scaly head and continued working behind the counter, washing mugs and such. Yuna walked to the elevator and went inside. Pressing the "Bridge" button, the doors closed, and she felt herself travelling downward. A moment later, the doors opened with a woosh, and she stepped outside and continued towards the control room.

When she entered, everyone seemed to ignore her. Disappointed, she walked down the stairs and noticed Shinra was working on something.

"What are you doing, Shinra?" Yuna asked.

"I'm trying to configure a new commsphere I've just installed in Kilika. There's supposed to be trouble brewing in that area," the Al Bhed boy spoke.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Sin....." he said darkly.

"What are you talking about?" Yuna asked quizzically.

"I don't know yet. I've intercepted several emails regarding Sin, though I cannot open them because they are encrypted", he answered back, typing something into the computer.

"Why can't you get past the encryption?" she asked, puzzled.

"I'm just a kid," he said. Yuna rolled her eyes and walked to the controls, where Buddy and Brother were flying the ship.

"Yuna!" Brother exclaimed, filled with joy. :Are you still having those nightmares? Do you want somebody to make you feel better?" Brother asked, grinning widely.

"There were no nightmares, I just haven't slept well lately," she lied. Brother seemed disappointed, and appeared to be busy thinking of another problem to try and help her with. Instead, she walked over to Buddy, who was sitting in his chair.

"Hey Yuna...." Buddy greeted her.

"Hi Buddy, what are you doing?" she asked him.

"We _were_ trying to find some leads on some spheres, but we've been more busy trying to figure out these suspicious emails regarding Sin, which we've intercepted," he explained.

"Shinra says he set up a commsphere in Kilika," Yuna mentioned.

"That's where we've traced one of the emails to," he said, stretching. "We've been hard at work trying to learn more about these emails, and we haven't slept in a long time,"

"It's probably just a prank," Yuna said dismissively.

"We can't take any chances, and it's probably worth investigating," he continued. Yuna nodded.

A few minutes later, Shinra yelled out loud, startling the team.

"The commsphere works!" he cheered triumphantly shaking his fists in the air.

"Let's see it," Yuna asked. Shinra pressed something on the computer, and a full colour live feed of Kilika appeared on the monitor.

"It's really changed since that day seven years ago....." Yuna declared quietly. The group watched the monitor carefully, and after about a minute of nothing happening, they saw something odd. Someone in black zipped by the commsphere on a motorcycle. After a moment, they saw somebody chase after them, wearing a leather hat and a blue robe. A black mage, Yuna thought. The mage cast a firaga spell and tried to attack the person on the motorcycle. The spell missed, and hit several people just a few feet away from the cyclist, injuring them and causing a house to catch fire. Yuna gasped at the sight.

"Those poor people!" Yuna exclaimed. "We have to get over there right now and help them!"

"Yes, we'll do what you want to do, Yuna," Brother said stupidly, paying no attention to what she said, but rather he was too busy checking her out.

"Ok, set coordinates for Kilika," Buddy commanded. Brother scrambled over to the controls clumsily, still staring at Yuna, and in doing so nearly tripped over his own feet.

"Kilika, got it," Brother dictaed out loud. The Celsius took off towards Kilika.

"We should be there in about five minutes, Yuna," Buddy said. "You should prepare yourself for the worst,"

"Just give me my guns and I'll be fine," she replied. Five minutes later, the Celsius was circling above Kilika, where The Gullwings could see smoke billowing up from several houses below.

"Take us down a bit lower," Yuna commanded.

"Roger," Brother replied. The airship lowered itself until it was about ten feet off of the ground. Yuna jumped out of the ship and landed on the ground just outside of Kilika, where some people were scrambling to get away.

Yuna walked towards the village, ready for anything. Some of the buildings had already burnt down, and she was afraid the town would become demolished once again. She hastily turned herself into a black mage using her garment grid. She aimed a large wateraga spell at the flames and extinguished the blaze.

"Thank you for helping us, Lady Yuna," Barthello's voice boomed behind her. She turned around and his massive figure towered above her.

"What's going on, Barthello?" Yuna asked, eyeing the scene of the crime.

"Paine was here, and she-"

"Paine? I thought she had been killed!" Yuna said, though she seemed to be relieved.

"I don't know the details, just that Paine was in town, looking for someone, but now she's being chased by that black mage, the one who burnt these homes," he explained. Yuna played the video clip of the girl wearing black on the motorcycle again in her head, and tried to understand who was chasing her.

"Do you know the name of this blackmage?" Yuna asked.

"I'm not sure, but I know he was trying to be discrete, and a young boy named Pacce had blown his cover,"

"Perhaps it was worth the trouble of losing a few homes compared to losing Spira," Yuna said to herself quietly.

"What's that?" Barthello asked, shocked.

"Somebody is up to something down here, and it has something to do with Sin. They even went to the trouble of encrypting their emails they've been sending. They don't want somebody to know something," She explained.

"Paine mentioned something to me about investigating a terrorist plot...." said Barthello.

"So she has left town?" Yuna asked.

"I reckon so, she's trying to get away from whoever it is that's chasing her,", he said. Yuna had no time to talk anymore, and ran off, looking for more clues around where the commspere footage was taken. She figured that maybe the person tailing Paine could have dropped something, anything! And she was right. Not far from the crime scene, Yuna found a cellular phone, which had fallen out of the black mage's pocket. She checked the info on it and saw a picture of him, and his name and information. She made a phone call to the Gullwings on the cell phone.

"Friendly neighboring gullwings!" Brother responded.

"Brother, it's Yuna. I think I've found out who attacked Kilika, but I need you to look him up in the computer," she asked. She knew he would do anything for her, and really didn't need to ask him.

"Of course Yuna, of course! Is there anything else you need?" Brother asked.

"Um, no," Yuna said. Brother said nothing, but she could tell he was disappointed.

"What's this guy's identity?" he asked her.

"He's a black mage, and he goes by the name of................Vivi".

TBC!


	5. Chapter 5: The Celsius

**The Chronicles Of Paine: Chapter Five**

_Author's note: Chapter 5. I've done a bit of thinking lately, trying to understand my story. It's somewhat of a large spider web pattern, and each individual portion breaks off in its own direction. It's a bit tricky, because the writer needs to have multiple things going on at once, and then pull everything to a close at the end. So, in conclusion, don't worry, I HAVE thought about all of the new things I've brought to the story, and am doing what I can to make the story last a while before closing it. It's not going to be extremely long like the videogames, but it needs to have some substance._

Paine could still hear screams echoing behind her as Kilika slowly vanished out of view. She tried to drown them out by making the motorcycle's engine rev louder. She was becoming angered, frustrated, and upset at the sprawling task which still spread far off into the landscape that was her fate. She knew she couldn't alter her destiny, and that whatever would come, would come. She was a couple of miles out of town when she was certain she had lost Vivi. She knew she would need to start looking for Rikku and Yuna as soon as possible, though she had not known Yuna had just missed her back in town. It was early in the evening. Paine had went to check her watch to see what time it was.

"Shit," she grunted. Her watch had evidently fallen off when she scrambled out of Kilika. She didn't have time to go back and look for it, so she continued onward. She was in the middle of nowhere, she thought. She slowed the bike to a stop, and hopped off. She was in the middle of an open field, and could see a couple of shoopufs in a pond a dozen yards away. She sat on the grassy ground and stretched her legs out. Sighing, she pulled an apple she had stolen in the Kilika market out of her pocket. Peeling it with her knife she had received from Cid, she took a bite out of the apple. As she gazed up at the sky, she could see the first few stars appearing.

"What the hell do I do now," she moaned. She took a few more bites from the apple, and threw the core over her shoulder.

"Hey, that's littering," said a voice behind her. Paine quickly reached for her guns and whipped around. Standing there was none other than Yuna.

"Oh, it's just you," Paine said, lowering her pistols.

"I thought you died," Yuna said, taking a seat on the ground next to Paine.

"I joined a group of agents, and my identity was deleted. I staged my own death, and have a new persona," Paine explained. "Technically I should kill you because you know too much," Paine said, raising her handguns to Yuna's face. "But.....I'm not going to." Relieved, Yuna took something from her pocket and pressed a button.

"What's that?" Paine asked.

"It's a tracking device. When I turn it on, the Celsius picks up my signal and will come find me," she explained.

"Oh," Paine said. "Hey, by any chance have you seen Nooj lately?" she asked.

"No, why would you want to know?" Yuna asked.

"Oh nevermind, it's not important," Paine sighed. Yuna and Paine sat there for about five minutes, when shortly after they heard a loud noise approaching from over the treeline. A bright red airship emerged from the forest and moved towards the two girls.

"It's been awhile since I last saw the old girl," Paine commented with a grin.

"So I guess you need a lift, huh?" Yuna asked. Paine nodded.

"Thank you, Yuna."

Yuna and Paine climbed up to the ship's deck and stepped inside the elevator.

"By the way, we have some other guys staying with us and they've become full fledged Gullwings," Yuna said.

"Who are they?" Paine asked.

"You'll see."

The elevator door opened with a hiss, and they stepped out into the bridge. Buddy and Brother were sitting in their usual seats, as was Shinra. But there were two other people here. Paine recognised one of them as Gippal, whom she glanced at for a moment , but the other man she had never seen. He had blonde spiky hair, he wore a purple suit, and held a massive sword.

"Everybody, Paine has rejoined us, and is now working for the Gullwings!" Yuna exclaimed. Everybody cheered, but Paine spoke loudly over everyone's voice.

"No, I only need a ride, thanks. I have a job to do, and can only stay with you people for a while," Paine said. Everyone seemed disappointed.

"Ok, well yo can sleep in the cabin upstairs until you leave," Yuna said. "But anyway, you know this is Gippal," She said, pointing to him, "But this is Cloud Strife," Yuna introduced the two. Paine said nothing, but Cloud gave a hearty wave.

"So where are we going?" Paine asked, ignoring Cloud, who seemed to be staring at her.

"We're going to Bikanel Island. Rikku is supposed to be rebuilding the Al Bhed Home there, and we're going to help," she said.

"That's good, because I need both of you for my mission," Paine said.

"What mission?" Yuna asked.

"We need to save the world again." Paine said wisely.

"That would explain a few things," Yuna said quietly.

"What are you talking about?"

"There's rumors flying around Spira about the ressurection of Sin,"

"Remember how Sin needed a sacrifice to be defeated, and then the sacrificed soul would be reborn into Sin?" Paine asked.

"Of course I do," Yuna said.

"Well, I'm beginning to have some theories," Paine shrugged.

"Like what?" Yuna asked.

"I can't really say. It's just that after you told me what Lady Yunalesca had said to you and your guardians seven years ago. That Spira is a neverending spiral of death,"

"You should sleep on it," Yuna suggested. "Don't worry, we won't be landing in Bikanel for hours. Get some rest, Paine,"

"Yeah, I need a good night's sleep. Thank you, Yuna," Paine said, yawning.

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	6. Chapter 6: Going back Home

**Final Fantasy: The Chronicles Of Paine: Chapter 6**

**NOTE: Oops! I seemed to have made a little mistake writing the previous chapter, and I never noticed. Paine left her motorcycle back near Kilika. My bad. Don't worry, I'm going to work this into the story somehow. Well enjoy Chronicles 6!**

The next morning, Paine awoke to the sound of shouting. She sat up in bed and gazed around the cabin, rubbing her eyes. It sounded like there were people fighting. Paine climbed out of bed and looked over the railing, and saw Cloud arguing with Barkeep. She didn't say anything, though she watched quietly.

"4000 gil for a Star Pendant!? Are you mad?! We're going into Bikanel Desert, and there's bound to be poisonous fiends there!", Cloud yelled.

"Shorry, but it'sh imposhibibble to shell you thish for lesh?" The hypello spoke in it's odd voice.

"I bet it would be "poshibibble" if I cut off your head!" Cloud threatened, eyes ablaze.

"Enough!" Paine demanded, slamming her fist on the railing. She hopped over the rail and walked up to the hypello. She took the Star Pendant from the counter and handed it to Cloud. She then put 4000 gil in the hypello's paw.

"Welcome to the Gullwings, ingrate," Paine growled, glaring at Cloud. "Rule number 1, no threatening Barkeep, Rule number 2, no hitting on Yuna, and Number 3, after pulling some shit like that, you should sleep with one eye open," Paine said coldly. She evidently scared the hell out of Cloud, because he seemed to be at a loss for words. She shoved him out of the way and stepped inside the elevator. When the door's opened again, she was on the bridge.

"Yuna, where are we?" Paine asked, glancing out the window.

"We're just offshore of Bikanel Island, and we'll be landing shortly.

"Good, I need to get some fresh air. Hey, where's Gippal?" she asked.

"I think he went down to the engine room. There's a problem with the fuel line, so he went to investigate."

Paine said nothing and walked back inside the elevator and descended to the engine room. Sure enough, when she stepped outside, she saw Gippal holding a wrench, trying to fix something. Shinra was there as well, talking his ear off about the technology.

"Shinra, why don't you go up to the bridge and find something else to do?" Gippal asked, annoyed. Shinra shuffled out of the room, and Paine could distinctively hear the disgruntled Shinra utter "I'm just a kid"....Paine walked over to Gippal.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Paine demanded.

"I'm going back home. All the Al Bhed are making a migration back to the desert, because Rikku and some of the other Al Bhed have almost finished restoring it." Gippal explained.

"I see," she sighed. "Have you spoken to Baralai or Nooj lately?" she asked.

"Are you kidding? I haven't seen them since shortly after you guys took care of Vegnagun. Why do you ask?"

"Oh it's nothing. So anyway what else is new?" Paine asked, changing the subject.

"Not much. I heard that Cid is the captain of a secret agent service. I think he's lost his marbles".

"Erm, yeah, he's a crazy guy alright," Paine said, avoiding Gippal's eye-contact.

"So what are you doing now?" Gippal asked.

"Um.....I work for O'aka...", she lied.

"I thought he hung himself after those Al Bhed started hunting him down for their money," Gippal sighed, setting his wrench down on the floor. Paine shrugged.

"So why are you here?" He continued.

"I'm going Yuna to Bikanel because I need to see Rikku," Paine explained.

"She's changed alot since you last saw her, I'm just warning you now," Gippal said darkly.

"What are you talking about?" Paine asked with a quizzical look.

"Oh you'll see. But for now I need to get back to work before this bird falls out of ths sky," Gippal grunted, picking up his wrench and crawling under a piece of machinery. Paine shuffled back to the elevator and returned to the control room. When she entered the bridge, she saw a patch of land approaching through the window. Buddy spoke over the PA, "Gullwings, to your stations. Approaching landing zone at Bikanel Desert. ETA: 5 minutes."

"Hey Paine, I just realized you forgot to bring your motorcycle with us," Yuna called out to her.

"Don't worry, I left a little surprise if anybody decides to steal it," Paine snickered, a gleam in her eye. "I placed a commsphere and a tracking device, similar to the one you have, on the bike's chassis,"

"How did you come accross that?" Yuna asked.

"Let's just say your uncle owed me a few favors," Paine explained. She walked over to the computer where Shinra sat and pressed a button on the console. A moment later, a colour image appeared on the screen, along with two men. She immediately recognised them as Ormi and Logos. Paine pressed another button on the console which activated the audio.

"-which is why we should steal this thing!" Ormi bellowed.

"You idiot, it's probably wired with explosives or something," Logos said, eyeing it carefully. Paine picked up the microphone from the console and spoke into it.

"No, it's not explosives, it releases an Ultima spell with a fifty meter radius. Go ahead, touch it. I dare you," Paine said with a smirk.

"What the hell was that!?" Ormi yelled. Logos took a few steps back.

"Ormi, get away from there, now," Logos warned, a slight quiver among his voice. Ormi pulled his shield off his back and held it in front of him, while backing away slowly.

"Who are you?" Ormi interrogated the motorcycle.

"Moron, it's probably just a recording used to deter thieves. Let's just take it."

Paine pulled a controller unit from her pocket and pressed a button labeled "accelerate". The bike took off with a mighty roar and began to do doughnuts around the duo. "Are you still sure you want to take it?" she asked playfully. The two men ran off screaming like little schoolgirls.

"I didn't think so...." Paine smiled, bringing the bike to a stop.

"Are you sure it's going to be ok just sitting there?" Yuna asked.

"Well, either it'll be ok, or someone stupid enough to take it will NOT be ok," Paine shrugged.

"Brace yourselves for landing, we're making an emergency landing just outside of Home. Seems Gippal couldn't fix that damn fuel line in time, and we're out of gas," Buddy sighed.

"Shit, where's Cloud?" Paine asked. Yuna seemed a bit shocked at Paine's language, but said "He's still up in the cabin,"

"Locking down all access and elevator doors," said Buddy. Paine ran to the front of the bridge and could only stare hopelessly out the window at the approaching ground. The Celsius had fully passed through the clouds, and was maybe a couple of hundred feet from impact. Paine could see a large structure off in the distance, evident'y this was the unfinished Home."Here we go," she grunted, holding onto the back of Brother's seat.

Fifty feet....................................Twenty feet..............Five feet................................Two inches................................The Celsius slammed into the sand with a crunch of metal. The last thing Paine recalled was a large steel beam hitting her in the back of her head and falling unconcious.

"Paine!" Yuna cried, her voice seemed to be fading out into nothingness.


	7. Chapter 7: The New Rikku

**Final Fantasy: The Chronicles Of Paine Chapter Seven**

"Paine, wake up!" Yuna's outline faded into view. "Paine, please....."

Paine opened her crimson eyes, squinting through the dimly lit cockpit of the Celsius.

"What happened?" Paine managed to groan.

"The ship crashed. Gippal thinks it was sabotage," Yuna said, guiding Paine to her feet. The front windshield of the airship was destroyed, and sand had flooded inside. The only light that filled the room came from Shinra's computer screen, though it flickered slightly.

"What do you mean sabotage?" Paine queried.

"Gippal found pieces of a bomb near the engine. Turns out it wasn't the fuel line," Yuna sighed.

"Do we know who put it there?" Paine asked.

"We're not sure. It's been hard to figure out anything with it being so dark in here, and Gippal and Cloud are in the engine room with the only flashlights onboard," Yuna said.

"We need to find a way out of here, and then we can ask the Al Bhed for help," Paine declared.

"How? We're under Bikanel!" Yuna said.

"So we dig. Beats the hell out of dying down here," Paine said, moving toward the front window. "We can dig our way out of the ship. From there, we'll need to find somebody to pull the Celsius out. Get upstairs to the cabin and see if Barkeep has anything we can use to dig."

"I'm on it," Yuna ran to the elevator and went to the cabin room. Paine walked over to Shinra's computer and tried to use it. To her amazement, she managed to access a network.

_I_ _can call Cid for help_, she thought. She accessed her account and typed up a small message for Cid:

"Cid,

I'm with the Gullwings, and we've had some technical difficulties with the Celsius. Actually, we've crashed into Bikanel Island, and are trapped beneath the sand. We need all the help we can get on getting this thing back in the air. I'm not sure of the exact location, so just look for a crater or something. Everyone is ok, but we won't be if we don't get out of here. Send help ASAP.

-Paine"

Paine clicked send. In a matter of hours, Cid would be here, and he could tow the Celsius out of the ground with his airship. Until then, they would be sitting ducks.

Yuna entered the bridge, carrying an arm-full of shovels and dumped them on the floor in front of her.

"Nice work," Paine said, snatching one up in her hand. "Now go get everybody else to come help us out." Paine went back over to where the sand had leaked in and began to dig. She had to break away some of the windshield, because the hole would not be suffiently large enough to crawl out of. She had dug several feet up, and became frustrated when the tunnel kept caving in.

"Fuck," she muttered softly under her breath. Yuna returned once more, being followed by Cloud, Gippal, Brother and Buddy.

"We should let the men do the work," Yuna said, handing a shovel to each of the four guys. "You shouldn't have any problems, because you're big strong men," Yuna giggled. Brother grinned from ear to ear.

"Except you, Brother. You're a pansy. Now get to work,". Brother sadly shuffled over to the digging site along with Cloud, Gippal and Buddy. Paine dropped her shovel and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"I sent a message to Cid," She sighed. The room fell silent.

"Cid?" Yuna asked.

"Yeah, so?" Paine looked at Yuna quizzically.

"I thought father died!" Brother started to cry.

"No no no. Cid had to fake his own death, just like me, before he could start this spy team. You are not to tell anybody I told you. Do not worry, he's going to be here later to get the Celsius out of the ground. Brother had the oddest look on his face. He seemed to be angered and saddened at the same time.

"Does Rikku know he's alive?" Brother asked quietly.

"No, I must tell her when we meet her. Do not say anything about this before I do," Paine ordered. Brother returned to his digging.

"I guess I never told the everybody about what you are doing..." Yuna said darkly.

"So what happened after I blacked out, anyway?" Paine asked.

"Mm, well, a support beam hit you in the back of the head when we crashed, and then you fell to the floor. I guess everybody was pretty rattled from the impact. You were out for about forty five minutes, and when Shinra came to, he sent out an SOS beacon. Obviously, nobody got the signal with us being trapped under all this sand," Yuna said.

"So anyway, why do you think someone would want to sabotage the ship"? Paine asked.

"I don't know," Yuna sighed, apparently deep in thought.

"It could have been that man who's chasing me," Paine guessed.

"Vivi. Yes, he's apparently been out to get you. I'm not sure who he's working for though. I checked the history on his phone calls on his cell phone, but he was wise enough to get rid of it,"

Paine said nothing. The four men kept digging away the sand, and became excited when they noticed some light fading through. They frantically dug the tunnel so it became wider and soon they had a bright beam of sunlight flooding into the ship's control room."Let's go," Cloud grunted, wiping some sand from his blonde spikes of hair. The guys managed to clamber out of the hole, and found themselves standing in the middle of the Bikanel Desert, and conveniently right near the Home construction site. Paine, Yuna and Shinra followed after Gippal, Cloud, Brother and Buddy. They were about to start walking away when they heard a familiar voice echoing behind them from within the ship.

"Pleashe don't leave me inshide the Shelshiush!" Barkeep cried. He came to the hole, but was too short to climb out.

"Let me help you," Buddy grunted. He reached down into the hole and grabbed the Hypello by the paw. Straining, he managed to pull the creature from the sandy hole.

"That'sh much better," Barkeep let out a sigh of relief.

"Ok, so what do we do now?" Cloud asked, looking around.

"We need to find Rikku," Yuna said.

"Now don't forget, we're parked under the giant mound of sand," Paine muttered. The Gullwings walked toward the giant Al Bhed structure of Home. It had really evolved since the time Cid leveled it five years before.

"I sure hope they have a place to eat in there," Brother complained. The team thought they heard a fiend sneaking up behind them, when really it was his stomach growling. They continued on until they reached the construction site.

"Good day to you. We are the Gullwings, and we're looking for a girl named Rikku. Do you know her?" Yuna asked a worker.

"Yeah, she's in that tent over there," The man pointed to a worker's tent that was evidently used for sleeping and other stuff.

"You guys just wait here," Yuna said. Her and Paine walked into the tent and saw someone sitting at a desk. The person's back was turned to them, and they couldn't see the worker's head because they were wearing a hood.

"Rikku?" Yuna tapped on the person's back. The person whipped around to face them. The person's face was hidden in shadow, and they could not tell who it was.

"What do you want?" The person spoke in a dark and moody tone.

"Are you Rikku?" Yuna asked nervously.

"Hmm, if you like. At least that is what some people call me," The person spoke in a cold manner. The person grabbed her hood and pulled it down. Yuna and Paine gasped at the sight.

"I guess you're here to judge me as well?" Rikku asked quietly. Rikku was no longer the sweet blonde everybody loved. She had changed alot over three years. She no longer had beautiful blonde hair. She had coloured it a silvery black, much like Paine. She also wore contact lenses, because she no longer had bright vibrant green eyes. Now, her eyes were an icy blue. They were so frigid that they seemed to freeze the pit of one's soul.

"Rikku, what have you done to yourself?!" Yuna asked, starting to cry.

"I know that my father is alive. I know he did not really die. It is because he has left me and Brother to live on our own that I have become depressed and unwanted. The only people who care for me are the people here at Home. Father left Brother and I when we needed him the most. And then, I find out that he's faked his own death, as if to say, we are a burden to him, and so he must make us forget about him," Rikku said darkly.

"Rikku,.....Your father, Cid, faked his own death so that he could become a spy. What he has done may not have been right, to leave you and Brother, but he is helping make Spira a better place. I know, because I work with him. I can understand why you feel this way, because my parents died because of Sin when I was very young. I was raised by many people. I knew I could not go on, fighting my emotions and hating the world and being selfish. I knew I needed to move on. Yes, it is because of my life that I've become the way I am. You know, dressing this way, and having a negative attitude. But, that was my choice, not because of my parents' death. Cid cares about you and Brother, very much. He became a spy so that he could protect Spira, along with you two. And I know he had regret, and that it broke his heart to do that, but it wasn't necessarily the wrong thing to do either. I chose my lifestyle, and so can you. You are who you want to be,"

Rikku wiped away a tear in her eye.

"And what you need to do," Paine continued, "Is change your lifestyle habits. The old Rikku was so happy-go-lucky, and never let anything get her down. But now, you are living in a dark and deep hole of despair, and it will only get darker if you allow it,"

"If that's true, then why don't YOU change?" Rikku asked.

"Because this is me, or rather who I have become. You are wearing a disguise. You aren't fooling anybody, and it will only make you feel worse if you stay this way. I think what you need is to get out of the desert for a while. Yuna and I are investigating some things having to do with Sin, and we could sure use another hand," Paine offered.

"I need to think about this for a while," Rikku sighed.

"That's fine. You have lots of time anyway, because we need to get the Celsius fixed up before we can fly again," Paine said, wiping some sand off her pants.


	8. Chapter 8: The interrogation

**Final Fantasy: The Chronicles Of Paine Chapter VIII**

**Author's NOTE: **If anyone wishes to copy and paste my work for other stuff, they have my permission. However if my work is posted on a website, I prohibit any and all altering of the original text **UNLESS** I give permission first. I've made this decision because I wish to share my work with everybody. I am also very happy that some people are reading this stuff. So far I've only had a few different users review, but I love you guys anyway :)

-gigaknight 3!

A great rumble shook the sands of the desert like a tremor. The ground vibrated, and the desk rattled. There was a loud sound of engines in the air. Clearly shaken, Rikku stood up from her chair and ran outside the tent. Yuna and Paine were at her heels, as the trio gazed up into the sky. A dark shadow enveloped the construction site as the massive object in the air blocked out the hot afternoon sun. It was Cid's airship. The massive yellow aircraft landed gently on the soft dunes of Bikanel, and out stepped not Cid, but somebody else. He wore a crimson robe, and hid his eyes from view with a large hood. He walked quickly up to where Yuna, Rikku and Paine were standing, and he spoke,"Hi, I was sent here by Cid to help someobody move a downed airship. Are you the right people?"

"Is that you, Yaibal?" Yuna asked.

"High Summoner Yuna!" He gasped. "Please, I beg of your foregiveness for my being rude,"

"That's alright. And please, just call me Yuna," She said.

"Why did Cid send you instead if him coming here?" Paine asked.

"You understand he cannot just wander around? He needs to pretty much keep himself secret ever since he became a spy. I think he just suffers from agoraphobia. Anyway, I'm here to help you guys fix your airship and get it moving again. Don't worry, I brought a crew with me, so you three can just relax. Oh, and which one of you is Rikku?" he asked.

"I am," Rikku answered quietly.

"Your father wanted me to give you this," Yaibal handed Rikku a small slip of paper.

"I'll look at it later thanks," she said, tucking it into her robe pocket.

"Right, well, me and my team will get to work right away. By the way, where is the ship?" He asked stupidly. Paine pointed off in the direction of the Celsius's crash site. Yaibal ran back onto Cid's airship, and moments later he ran back out being followed by several people, all of whom appeared to be former Youth League members.

"So what do we do now?" Paine asked.

"It's getting late, you guys can stay the night," Rikku said. "Just take all your stuff to that tent over there," she said, pointing off to an empty tent. "Don't worry, there's enough beds for everyone."

"Aren't you staying in the same tent as us?" Yuna asked.

"No," Rikku replied shortly.

"Screw it, let's go," Paine said, starting to head for the tent.

Brother walked up to Rikku, still apparently shocked at what his sister had done to herself.

"Rikku-," he started. She cut him off, holding her hand up to silence him. She then whispered something to him in Al Bhed, which translated to "I'll talk to you after,". Somewhat frustrated he was still one of the only people who had no real idea of what was going on, he followed the group to the large military-style tent. When they reached it, they noticed they had a roommate. A black mage slumbered quietly on one of the wooden bunk beds in the corner of the tent. He seemed extremely familiar somehow. Yuna took the cellular phone she found in Kilika from her pocket and looked it over. The picture of the owner resembled the person in this bed.

"That's Vivi," Yuna gasped. Paine put her hand over Yuna's mouth to silence her.

"Maybe we can find out why he's been following me," she said. She took a pistol from her holster and pointed it at the mage's face.

"Wake up!" Paine ordered harshly, while tapping the barrel of the gun on Vivi's head. He woke in a panic, clearly caught by surprise.

"You..." he grunted. He started to get up.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Paine said, cocking the pistol, so let's talk." Vivi listened to Paine, and remained motionless as he spoke.

"I've been sent on a quest to find and destroy you," he started.

"Yes, I sort of figured that out myself. Why are you trying to kill me and my team?" she demanded.

"It's my job. I'm doing what my boss tells me to," he explained.

"Everybody, leave the room," Paine ordered. Without asking questions, the rest of the team reluctantly went outside the tent.

"Now you listen to me, you arrogant little shit, it's one thing that you're trying to kill me, trust me, in my line of duty that becomes normal. You however, endangering my friends is something I have a problem with. And I know it was you who put that bomb on our ship," Paine growled.

"Can't get anything past you, now, can we? However, you may be wondering how I've made it to this island so quickly. Well, I used a teleport spell which warped me near where the Celsius picked you up, and then I snuck aboard before it took off. I then planted the bomb and damaged the fuel line to make a cover up. But it seems that wasn't really necessary as you've caught me with my pants down, so I'll level with you. If you let me go, I'll leave you and your friends alone," Vivi bartered.

"Bullshit. You're going to sit here as long as it takes until I get the truth I need," Paine instructed.

"Which means you won't shoot me," Vivi said cleverly.

"I'll know if you're lying to me, because people don't lie when they're staring down the barrel of a gun belonging to Spira's most deadly agent, so let's talk," said Paine. She could sense fear rising up in Vivi, because his voice quivered and wavered slightly as he spoke.

"You're bluffing," Vivi stalled. Paine aimed her pistol at Vivi's left leg and squeezed the trigger. The bullet entered and practically mutilated his left leg.

"Am I?" Paine asked. "Now if you don't smarten up and have the balls to tell me the truth, the next one's going in your head," she waved the gun menacingly at him. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal clear," Vivi groaned, holding his leg, which was bleeding profusely.

"Now, we can still have a white mage fix that up if you help me out with this. Unfortunately for you, there's no phoenix downs around here, so you're shit outta luck if I 'accidentally' kill you,"

"So what do you want me to tell you?" Vivi asked, suppressing the intense pain from the gunshot wound.

"Who is your boss?" Paine asked.

"That I won't tell you. Go on and shoot me, I'll just be reincarnated like him,"

"Who are you talking about," Paine asked coldly.

"My boss died and was reincarnated," Vivi explained. "It's only a matter of time before he can merge with a mortal such as myself and we will become one, immortal,"

"And I suppose this boss is the guy who can bring back Sin?"

"Yes , when I merge with him, he will become Sin, and we will rule Spira," Vivi said casually, so casually it was frightening.

"If I were to kill you," Paine started, "Then he would not be able to merge with you?"

"Of course not. He could merge with whomever he saw fit to share the title of 'Sin' with. He chose me because he trusts me,"

"At this point, whichever you choose to do, I can't allow you to do this. Use yor brains. This is me at my most masochistic,"

"So you'd shoot me like a dog? If he becomes Sin, he is also blessed with powers that the older Sin was without. These powers include the ability to revive anyone from the Far Plane, provided that they were sent," Vivi explained.

"If you tell me with whom you're working with, I could have you arrested and sent to prison instead of being killed. It's up to you. But do you really want to bring Spira back out of it's Eternal Calm?" Paine asked.

"I can't tell you anymore information," Vivi smirked.

"Your funeral," Paine said, unloading a shot into the mage's skull. He fell lifeless to back onto the bed. She wiped some of the blood from her face and searched his pockets. She found items that were mostly useless in this situation: potions, ethers and the like. However she did find a mysterious paper with some weird stuff on it. When Paine read the small slip of paper, she nearly fainted.

It was written as follows:

"Paine and the Gullwings must be destroyed before they leave Bikanel Island. If anything happens to you, it could ruin the entire plan. Once the team and the airship are disposed, find a way back to the Zanarkand Temple. Signed, Fayth,"

An eerie silence fell over the area. The noise of hammers and general construction seemed to come to a stop, and all she could here was the sand blowing accross the dunes. Paine ran outside in a panic.

"We need to get off this island, right now!" Paine said.

"What? We just got here!" Cloud complained.

"Strife, don't push me," she responded hotly.

"Paine, what's wrong?" Yuna queried.

"There's no time to explain. We're gonna need to take Cid's airship because we'll never make it to Zanarkand in time if we wait until the Celsius is fixed."

"What are we going back there for?" Brother grunted,

"Yeah, I thought they shut down the Zanarkad Ruins because of that monkey that bit someone," Rikku asked thoughtfully.

"No, that was just Isaaru. But c'mon, we need to go now. I promise once we're up in the air, we'll talk," Paine said.

TBC!

**AUTHOR'S NOTE PLEASE READ THIS!**

This chapter may have come as a shock to everyone to see it behave this way. Actually the thing about Fayth pulling the strings for Vivi has been going on throughout the entire story. The Fayth which is doing this is Bahamut's fayth, which is the young child dressed in the purple robe. Now, because he is an aeon, he is able to merge with anybody and become Sin. This is similar to how Jecht and Lord Braska sacrificed themselves to defeat Sin.....for a period of time anyway. Because Fayth is already an aeon, he can merge with anyone to do this. As for what his motives and why he is doing this will not be revealed until later. Stay tuned for more chapters!


	9. Chapter 9: Leblanc's Motives

Final Fantasy: The Chronicles Of Paine: Chapter 9

**Author Note:** This is a crucial chapter, and while it may seem quaint, it is not. There are a few references that are quite subtle, but watch for them. There is an especially important hint to my next story, which at this time is is only called: Final Fantasy: The Chronicles Of Paine Zero , because it is a prelude to this. This chapter answers alot of stuff to the story, so it is very important. You also learn more about the connection between Nooj and Paine, as well as an old enemy makes a return. Enjoi!

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Yaibal asked.

"Don't ask questions. I am taking over this ship, and you will do what I say, otherwise you'll end up looking like Wizard boy," Paine said defiantly, fire in her eyes.

"Wizard Boy?" Yaibal asked.

"He's in that tent over there," Paine said, pointing. "Now move."

"Cid will hear about this, make no mistake," Yaibal intervened.

"I know, because I will tell him. Now this is a matter of national security, and if you do not co-operate, I have authority to force you to," warned Paine, gripping her platinum blade which she received from Cid. She helped herself aboard, and motioned the rest of the Gullwings aboard.

"Everybody out," Paine ordered to all of the people aboard the airship. "And Yaibal," she continued. "I want that airship of ours operational ASAP, got it?". He nodded with enthusiasm. The Gullwings obediently followed her onto Cid's ship.

"Hey, I'm captain, and it is my job to give the orders around here," Brother said with boldness. Paine said nothing, though she did not have to, and only glared at him momentarily. "But I will alloy you to be the boss," Brother quickly said agreeably.

"Buddy, I'm putting you in charge of flying this thing. We are going to be flying over Gagazet at some point, so don't hit the mountains," Paine ordered.

"Aye aye," Buddy jumped into the pilot's seat.

"Everybody else, just sit tight until we get there." Paine said.

"Paine, what in Spira is going on?" Yuna demanded.

"We're planning an assault," Paine explained.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Sin _will _return, and it's too big a job for me to do it myself, and I know you'll help me," Paine said.

"How?" Yuna asked.

"Fayth, he has found a way to manifest himself, along with somebody else into a Sin re-incarnate. Fayth is the spirit of the aeon, Bahamut, therefore he completes the first half. He then needs someone to fill the other slot as the form of Sin," she said.

"So he can reincarnate people?" Yuna asked quizzically.

"Yes,"

"Anyone?"

"Yes,"

"Does this mean, that he can............bring _him _back?" Yuna asked.

"I can't really say, but there must be a way," Paine shrugged. Yuna said nothing, but appeared to be deep in thought.

"We're airborne everybody," Buddy called out. "No promises about hitting any mountains though, this bird ain't as nimble as the Celsius."

"Of course," Paine continued, ignoring Buddy, "of course, this means that Fayth could also bring back unwanted people,"

"Seymour..........or Yunalesca...." Yuna said quietly.

"That will never happen if we stop him in time though. He was to use Vivi, but I've done away with him, so he needs to find another host," Paine said wisely. "Besides, do you really want _him _back? I thought you had let _him _go."

"Of course I still miss _him_, but it's been five years and he may have changed," Yuna pondered darkly.

"It could very well be a reality, but don't expect there to be a happy ending," Paine cautioned Yuna. "This is a war, and we are soldiers. We are the only people who stand in his path. If we cannot stop him tonight, then I fear tomorrow may never come for any of us,"

"I know...." Yuna said sadly.

"If we could wake up tomorrow, and there was no more anger, and hate, and war, wouldn't that be worth fighting for? Wouldn't that be worth dying for?" Paine asked. "I joined my team of spies so that there would never be a war, that we could stop evil without alot of people knowing about it. Since we went off in seperate ways three years ago, I have saved the world once already, and only a select few know about that. However, like a conventional war, I still lost some of my friends. But as long as there is an ounce of strength left in my soul, I will never give up." Paine explained.

"What _are _you fighting for?" Yuna asked.

"If we make it through this, I'll tell you," Paine replied. "But for now, if you want to see _him _again, you need to be strong, as does every other person in Spira. We aren't going to attack Fayth using conventional tactics, because he'll be ready for us. We need to slowly and carefully find some things out about him first, because I have a feeling the root of evil is beyond him, and that Fayth is doing the work for someone else,"

"Who?" Yuna asked.

"I'm not sure yet, but it can't be good for us," Paine replied.

"So anyway, Paine, tell me about how you saved Spira without it knowing?" asked Yuna, changing the subject.

"Well, that's **another story**, and I have **zero** tolerance for bringing up my past," Paine muttered, somewhat annoyed by Yuna's nosiness.

"Anyway, Rikku!" Paine called out. "What's that piece of paper you got from Yaibal for, anyway?

"Nothing," Rikku responded coldly. She had in fact, not read it yet, and it had slipped her mind. She took it from her back pocket and read it silently.

"Rikku,

I know what's happened to you, and I know it is my fault. Gippal is a contact of mine and has been telling me what's going on with you and Brother. I know that Paine is with you, along with the Yuna and the Gullwings, and for now I want you to help out in anyway you can with them. I don't want you to give up on people, and just be yourself. The dark gothic attitude is only going to make you feel worse, and I know it's not you. That is why once Paine and my other agents finish this mission, I am resiging and putting her in charge of everything. I am sorry that I have not been around to be your father, and I want to make it up to you once I finish this job.If Paine has not yet told you she's an agent, then you can talk to her about it. I promise we can talk once this is all over.

-Your father, Cid."

"Wow," Rikku said softly.

"What is it, Rikku?" Yuna asked.

"I'm going to see my father soon, and I have not done so in a few years now," said Rikku, somewhat blankly, as if she was in a stasis. Yuna did not say anything, but gave her cousin a hug.

"It's going to be ok, and we'll be right by your side," Yuna comforted Rikku.

"That means alot to me, and I've decided that I am just going to be myself," Rikku smiled.

Paine sighed, "Oh boy......"

"This is your captain speaking. We'll be arriving at the Zanarkand Ruins in a few hours. Relax, you are now free to move about the cabin," Buddy chuckled.

"Buddy, I want you to make some short stops at these co-ordinates, because there are some people I want to pick up," Paine handed him a piece of a map with several spots circled. They read "Besaid, Luca, and Kilika".

"Who do you need to pick up?" Buddy asked.

"You'll see when we get there. I'm going to send them an email and tell them to get ready," Paine replied quickly.

Cloud raised his hand.

"Yes, Cloud?" Paine queried.

"I want to pick someone up from Kilika as well," Cloud answered.

"Got it, you're just going to have to be quick getting them onboard the ship, because we're behind in schedule," Paine said.

"Um, fellas? We got an un-recognised airship coming up on us real fast. They look armed, and they mean business. Orders?" Buddy asked.

"Go to audio," Paine ordered. Shinra pressed a button on the bridge's console, and then moments later a voice came over the speakers.

"Land the ship, now. We will fire upon your craft if you do not comply," Came a snooty man's voice.

"Who is this?" Paine asked into the microphone.

"That is unimportant. Land this ship so that we may pillage your airship and steal your spheres," he warned.

"That voice sounds familiar.......Logos?!" Paine asked.

"Erm.........yes....now land your airship at once!" Logos demanded.

"I don't have time for your shit, and I wouldn't listen to you if it meant getting blown out of the sky. And besides, we're approaching the sea, and once we leave the island, if you shoot us down, you will not be able to find anything from the wreckage. Who's in charge of that ship?" Paine demanded. There was a pause, and finally a woman's voice came over the PA.

"Paine," the woman said coldly.

"Leblanc," Paine replied. "Nice airship, you got there. Bet you had to steal all sorts of things to get that?"

"None of your business. So, since our little "fight" before you joined the spies, how's life?" Leblanc asked.

"It's a bitch, you?" Paine asked.

"Can't complain. You stole Noojie Woojie from me, and I got him back, and left you hurting. Does that sound accurate?" Leblanc asked.

"True, but I left you for dead after that." Paine said.

"But I'm not dead, am I, bitch?" Leblanc asked slyly.

"Not yet, anyway. So how is Nooj, anyway?" Paine asked.

"He's over you, and you can't have him back, if thats what you wanted to know. He felt sorry for me after what you did to me in that fight."

"Yes, I believe I left several deep cuts across your midsection with my sword, if I am correct. And Nooj still likes you, even with those nasty scars?" Paine shot back defiantly.

"That's not what I'm here to talk about. You and I have unfinished business," Leblanc declared.

"For you, right now, you can wait, because I'm busy trying to save the world. Now go home," Paine said cooly.

"After you finish 'saving the world', meet me and we can have our duel." Leblanc said. Paine picked up the microphone and carried it to the escape hatch at the side of the airship.

"Do you really want to wait?" Paine asked. "How about I give you a taste of what to expect?" She opened up the side hatch and pulled a rocket launcher from the cargo net on the wall. She took the large gun and aimed it at the Leblanc Syndicate's aircraft and unleashed a large explosive shell, which at about one hundred feet per second, was screaming towards the craft, and exploded in a fiery mess of burnt and twisted fuselage. The PA radios went to static, as the ship lost control. She closed the hatch and walked back to the cockpit. Watching on Buddy's monitor, she saw the ship wasn't destroyed, but was very damaged, and it slowed and headed back towards land.

"You and Leblanc had a fight?" Yuna asked.

"Friendly competition," Paine corrected her.

"Ok, so what was this 'friendly competition' about?" Yuna asked. "What about Nooj?"

"Once again, i will tell you about it some other time. That, is **another story**. Leblanc and I had been fighting to get the opening to join Cid's team of spies, and since then, she had nearly killed me. To this day, I've sworn to Yevon that I will get vengeance before I die, even if I face Sin before that happens." Paine said quietly.

"Everybody, it's getting late, maybe you should get some sleep before we get to these stops on our map," Buddy said. "I think there are some spare cabins onboard that you can use,"

TBC!


	10. Chapter 10: The Beginning Of The End

_**Final Fantasy: The Chronicles Of Paine Chapter 10**_

**"Everything that has a beginning, has an end"**

**-The Matrix Revolutions**

Several hours had passed since the team had left Bikanel Island, as well as the showdown with Leblanc and her airship. The Gullwings were closing in on their first destination before they reached Zanarkand.

"This is Buddy, we're approaching Besaid island. I want everyone ready to go before we get there, because we're running short on time. If anyone has some friends or family living there, it would be wise to say your goodbyes now, just in case," said Buddy.

"Has anyone seen Rikku?" Yuna asked.

"Since she read that letter, she's been crying in one of the cabins all by herself," Paine shrugged.

"I should go and talk to her," Yuna said quietly.

"She wanted to be alone...." Paine warned. "I know what she's going through, so just leave everything to her for now."

While it was true that Rikku had been by herself for hours, Paine knew it was wise to let Rikku make the first step to her recovery.

"So anyway, Paine. I forgot to ask you. What are you going to Besaid for?" Yuna asked.

"I need to pick up a few things, and talk to some people," said Paine.

Yuna seemed unusually quiet, and was in somewhat of a blank state. Evidently, she was deep in thought, most likely about Tidus. Was it true, that she could see him again in this life? If so, for how long? And how will he have changed since the last time she saw him alive? Her mind was racing, and she had felt some hope, for once. Vivi said that Fayth could reincarnate persons as he saw fit, to carry out his plans. Perhaps Yuna could harness this power somehow. What she did not know, is the price that would need to be paid to have him back in flesh and blood.

"Yuna, do you still have Vivi's cell phone?" Paine asked. Yuna said nothing, and handed the phone to Paine in an absent-minded manner.

"I don't think Vivi would mind if I use up the minutes on this anyway," Paine said to herself. She entered Cid's phone number, and waited for him to answer.

"Yeah," came the man's loud voice.

"It's Paine," she said.

"What's going on?" Cid asked.

"We have a lead. Vivi was a mere puppet for Fayth, the spirit of an old Aeon." Paine explained.

"I know, I know. I have some more information for you as well. Since the incident with Vegnagun, the large holes between the Farplane and Spira remain. He's found a way to travel through this hole into our world. However it seems he can't do what he wants without posessing someone. This is the same idea as what Shuyin was doing to Baralai three years ago, of course Shuyin wasn't the spirit of an Aeon and was only human. There still are no confirmations as to who he's controlling. By the way, I've heard about you wasting Vivi. Nice work, but next time try to be a bit more subtle," said Cid.

"I know, I acted a bit wrecklessly, but at least we know what we're doing now," Paine shrugged.

"Indeed, but the Al Bhed construction crew is a mess right now. Something about an airship crashing into the land, gunshots, Vivi being discovered dead, and then shortly after there was an airship dogfight reported a few miles off the coast of Bikanel, and an illegal ship was shot down," Cid commented.

"That was us who crashed into the island. I'm with my old teammates, the Gullwings, and I was hitching a ride with them on their Celsius. It turned out Vivi had snuck onboard and planted a bomb. The explosion didn't kill us, but the crash nearly did. You then sent Yaibal along with a small team to dig us out. I found Vivi waiting for us inside a tent at the construction site, and I interrogated him. He only told me what I could force out of him, and then I shot him. However I _did _find a slip of paper in his suit which tells us what's going on. I then commandeered your ship and now we're en route to Zanarkand, where Fayth is supposed to be holed up," Paine explained. "By the way, where is it that you learned all of that new information about Fayth?"

"I have a group of cells working on the mainland and trying to get us info while you are out doing whatever you can," Cid said.

"Who are the spies?" Paine asked.

"They are a young group of Ronso, as a matter of fact. Named Lian and Ayde,"

"I never knew they worked for us," Paine said.

"Of course you don't, why would you? We keep the organization as discreet as possible, and always send out small teams. Only a few people know about your presence, and we always keep the rest of the team in the dark, because they have a right to peace of mind, like the rest of Spira. Anyway, taking out Vivi may have nearly blown our cover, but it's at least bought you some time for now, and we now know where Fayth is. For now, keep everything you do quiet, discreet, and don't draw attention to yourselves. By the way, how is Rikku doing?"

"She's been crying since she read your letter, but she'll make it. When this is all over, if we make it through this, you need to speak with her, in person." said Paine.

"Ok, we're running out of time, so you should get to work as soon as possible."

"Yeah," said Paine, shutting off the phone.

Just then, Rikku emerged from the cabin she was in. The rest of the crew seemed to gasp, as the old Rikku entered the room. She stood there, wearing her usual green shorts, orange top and bright yellow scarf. She also had evidently washed the black dye from her hair, because the bright blonde tone shined through the way it did three years ago. And the most dramatic improvement was also the smallest. She no longer stared with an icy blue gaze, but the chilling glare was replaced with her beautiful bright green eyes, which appeared more full of life and vibrant than ever. She had a half smirk, half frown on her face, as if something was missing.

"What's wrong, Rikku?" Yuna asked.

"I don't feel any different." she said.

"Give it time, you'll feel better," Yuna encouraged. "We're landing in Besaid soon, and you can get out and see everyone before we leave for Zanarkand,"

Rikku seemed to at least feint a smile. "Were you talking to my dad?" she asked.

"Yeah, on the cell phone." Paine replied.

"What did he say?" Rikku asked.

"He's going to see you when this is all over."

Rikku didn't answer, but took a seat in an empty chair.

Paine glanced out the window, and saw a familiar shape. It was Besaid island. She felt somewhat depressed, because she somehow felt she would never see it again.

"Is something wrong?" Cloud asked, clearly concerned.

"I'm fine," Paine lied. "Anyway, shouldn't you be fighting with Barkeep right about now?"

Cloud rolled his eyes, "I'm just worried,"

"What do you have to be worried about?" Paine asked. "You could go home right away if you wanted. Nobody asked you to help me fight Sin,"

"Maybe, but I can't just up and leave you guys, it's my business now too," Cloud sighed.

Paine had some strong dislike for Cloud, and rather than argue, she merely dismissed him with a rude hand gesture. Cloud scoffed and walked out of the room.

Even after I stop Fayth, the fight will not be over, she thought. Somewhere out there, Leblanc and her goons are plotting against me, and someday, I will find my meaning and ending. She will kill me, or I will kill her. Revenge is too trivial for words, but this is the only my soul can find respite.

"Besaid Island, everybody out!" Buddy announced.

Well, she continued thinking. At least if I die fighting for my cause, I can at least know I died without vain.

"Paine, what are you doing? We're here, let's go!" Yuna called.

**To be continued...**


	11. Chapter 11: The Secret Dress Sphere

**Final Fantasy: The Chronicles Of Paine Chapter 11**

Paine hopped out of the airship and onto the Besaid soil. The place hadn't changed much since she was there several years earlier.

"What are we doing here?" Rikku asked.

"I'm here to pick up a dress-sphere." Paine replied. "I got an email from Wakka saying he found it near the beach."

"Dress-sphere?" Cloud asked, scratching his head.

"We use them to transfer ourselves into more powerful forms, and this also changes our appearance. When our friend Wakka told me he found a special dress-sphere, I thought it could be a good idea to get it from him, seeing as we're going into a dangerous mission at Zanarkand." Paine explained.

"Did he say what type of dress sphere it was?" Yuna asked.

"No, but it's supposed to be very rare," Paine said. "Let's check it out."

They had touched down just outside the village, so they headed for Wakka and Lulu's home. When they entered the small town, nobody had seemed to make a large fuss over Yuna returning home. This was probably because she had changed so much, and the fact that because the last time she actually returned to Besaid, it was quite some time ago, and that alot of the older residents had no doubt passed away. It was mid afternoon, and the sun was as hot and bright as ever, though the young children playing outside didn't seem to care. They approached Wakka's quaint little hut, and Yuna stuck her head through the door.

"Anybody home?" She called out. It was eerily empty inside, and there was no sign of Wakka, Lulu or their child.

"What now?" Rikku asked.

"I want to check out the temple, they could have went there," Paine said. The Gullwings wandered across the small village square and entered the Besaid Temple. The main lobby was dimly lit by several torches among the circular chamber's walls. Tall statues of former High Summoners stood along the edges of the room, including a stone statue of Yuna's father, Lord Braska. There were the usual folk among the room, mostly elders praying to each High Summoner's statue, and in the centre of this room, three figures stood. A man wearing a yellow Auroch's uniform and a blue headband, a rather tall woman wearing a jet black dress, and a young boy, perhaps no more than three years old. Wakka, Lulu and their son, Vidina were praying to the Lord Zaon statue. Yuna was about to walk up to them, but Paine grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Leave them be until they've finished," Paine said. Rikku seemed to be trying to see if she could hear what Wakka was praying about. He and his wife and son turned around and faced The Gullwings.

"Cloud, wait outside," Paine ordered. "This is between me, Rikku, and Yuna." Cloud dindn't backtalk to Paine, because he knew better, though he still scoffed as he stepped outside the temple.

"Wakka-," Yuna started. He did not say a word, though he raised his hand to stop her.

"Wakka, we are in a hurry, so we need to make this fast." Paine urged.

"I know, Cid emailed me and told me what's going on. Me and my family have been here praying that everything goes well. I have something for you," Wakka said, reaching into his pocket. "I found this sphere washed up on the beach." He held out a glowing orange coloured sphere, and placed it in Paine's palm.

"What do you know about it?" Paine asked.

"It's extremely rare. It enables the "Spy" job, which allows you to perform all kinds of Spy techniques," Wakka explained. He then spoke in a quiet tone that only he and the girls could hear. "I can't believe the Fayth is behind all this shit, ya? How could he backpedal like that?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, but I'm going to find out what made him switch sides." Paine said. "Apparently death is not an impediment, only a minor inconvenience."

"Don't worry, I haven't told anyone else what's going on, and I want to keep things quiet as possible," Wakka whispered. One would think he would have been ecstatic to see Yuna and Rikku again, but Wakka seemed to be trying to keep everything calm and business-like. Lulu and Vidina stayed silent, because apparently Wakka had told them to, though they still seemed curious, though they were completely oblivious to what was going on.

"I'm not here to talk, Wakka. We need to get to the fayth tonight. We still need to stop off at two other places before we land at Zanarkand. By the way, thank you for this sphere," said Paine.

"You take care, all of you, ya?" Wakka said. Paine gave a small nod and turned towards the door. Yuna and Rikku followed behind her. Yuna looked back at Wakka and his family, and saw Vidina clutching a plush cactuar doll.

"Oh my god...." Yuna whispered.

"What now?" Paine asked.

"This poor world has no idea what's going to happen. It's kinda...........sad..." Yuna explained.

"Nothing's going to happen," Paine said. "We're going to the make sure of that." The three women wandered back into the small village square and met Cloud at the door.

"What is that?" Cloud asked, staring at the sphere in Paine's grasp.

"You'll see when we get there," Paine replied. The four scrambled out of town towards where the airship had landed. Obviously the ship hadn't landed right on the ground, and hovered maybe twenty or thirty feet up, and a small rope ladder fell from one of the side doors.

"Let's go," Rikku said. Paine slipped her boot into the bottom rung of the ladder and heaved herself upward, as did Yuna, Cloud and Rikku. When they managed to climb inside the ship, they felt it take off with a mighty roar of engines and thrusters.

"Take us to Kilika," Paine commanded to Brother.

"Kilika?!" Brother exclaimed.

"What's wrong now?" Paine sighed.

"We cannot land there, there's a no fly zone because of the attack on the town earlier. They think it was a terrorist attack or something," Brother explained. "Why do we need to go there anyway?"

"I want to see Dona and Barthello again," Paine said.

"You'll get a chance to see them in Luca, we're taking them to Zanarkand," Brother replied.

"What?" Paine asked.

"I got an email from them. Seems you told Barthello what's going on, and they've decided to help us," Buddy said.

"I don't like this," Paine said skeptically.

"We could use the help," Rikku said. Paine didn't reply, though she just shook her head.

"Did you get what you came for?" Brother asked. Paine held out the dress sphere.

"We're going to be spies," Paine said with a smirk.

"By the way, what do we need to go to Luca for, anyway?" Brother asked.

"Cid has some weapons for us," Paine explained. "Then, it's off to the Zanarkand Temple. But I have a feeling that won't be where it ends. Tonight, there will be a war. Tonight, we will learn how unity prevails. Tonight..............we will protect those we love..............Tonight..........we shall go to the very depths of Hell itself." Paine said quietly as the airship flew off into the Spira sunset.

**To be continued**


	12. Chapter 12: Lock and Load!

**Final Fantasy: The Chronicles of Paine Chapter 12**

"I'm picking up an airship's signal. It's the Celsius!" Shinra excaimed, working at the computer console. "I'll keep tracking it."

A small figure stood behind the warehouse, or makeshift "base", as it were. He seemed to wear a jet black uniform.

As Cid's airship approached the Luca HQ, Paine stared out the cockbit's window out at her home town for possibly the last time. She didn't seem to notice the person standing outside, and knew it was unusual to have non-spies standing about the complex. Cid had apparently chosen an old warehouse for HQ because apparently it had little appeal, and nobody would ever think that an elite group of superspies operated from this particular hub. Cid's Airship made it's approach towards the destination as Paine marked the area with a nav point, via GPS. As the ship lowered itself downward, Paine began to know who the mysterious stranger was. It was Tobli. Not as she had remembered, wearing a bright red suit, and speaking in notably too mayn words for people to comprehend. The ship landed against the pavement with a dull thud. The side door hissed open, and Paine stepped out of the ship.

"Wait here," Paine said to the rest of the crew. "I'll be quick." As Paine had guessed, the person wearing the black uniform was none other than Tobli.

"What are you doing here?" Paine asked. "And why are you dressed like that?"

Tobli spoke. "Because we have a real situation on hand now,"

"Sin isn't real enough?" Paine asked.

"We've lost Cid," Tobli replied.

"Excuse me?" Paine questioned.

"You of all people should remember Shuyin's ability to "infest" people, and then take full control of them through posession. Cid was no different, and he was posessed, and then left for Zanarkand," Tobli explained.

"How did it happen?" Paine asked.

"Obviously the fayth didn't come straight into Luca, so he was kidnapped by one of his goons," Tobli said. Paine looked slightly unconvinced.

"Still, how the hell did this happen? How did this guy manage to kidnap an experienced spy, and then take him all the way to Zanarkand over the course of a few hours?"

"Well, remember when you and the Gullwings crashed into Bikanel, and then Yaibal and his team went in to retreive it? They managed to dig it out, repair it and bring it back. Evidently, Fayth's kidnapper kidnapped Cid, and then they stole the Celsius and went back to Zanarkand. In fact they left shortly before you arrived."

"Shinra picked up the Celsius' signal just before we landed. I think maybe we can follow them all the way to Zanarkand." Paine said. "Now, may I ask why you're dressed like that? And how come you're talking normally?"

Tobli seemed rather insulted, though replied. "This is my spy uniform. I'm coming to Zanarkand with you. I'm talking this way, because frankly, talking in that other way is sort of a habit." Tobli shrugged.

"I originally returned to HQ because Cid apparently needed me for something, but he's gone..." Paine said.

"Yes, I remember Cid talking about you coming back. He had some equipment for your team before you drop into the mission. Follow me," Tobli instructed. He walked inside the large warehouse and Paine trailed behind him.

"Now what we have here," Tobli said as they entered the large room, "Is a wide assortment of weapons and equipment. Chances are Fayth will have some kind of backup on hand, and it would be unwise to do otherwise,"

Paine nodded, though said "We're infiltrating the temple, not looking to start a war."

"Don't worry, we have a little bit of everything here." Tobli replied. He motioned her towards a stainless steel table, where an assortment of weapons and equipment were laid out. Paine seized a small pistol from the surface and examined it.

"Hey Tobli, I have the exact same gun, what's the deal here?"

"Oh that gun is much better than your old one. See that device right there?" He said, pointing to an item on the table. "That is a ballistic silencer, and it fits that gun. Over here, we also have a high calibre sniper rifle, which could be a good alternative to bursting into the area."

"Whatever happened to swords and that type of thing?" Paine asked.

"Times change, and we need to as well. We received this high-tech weaponry courtesy of an Al Bhed militia, and they were most cooperative. Now, aside from the pistol and sniper rifle, the Al Bhed also managed to steal several New Yevon assault rifles. And our last weapons are small, and not really revolutionary, but useful." Tobli pulled from his pocket a couple of blades, similar to the one Paine received from Cid. "You can give these to a couple of your teammates. Now, onto our equipment. Here, we have thermal vision enhanced contact lenses. These allow you to see and monitor heat signatures of potential threats, as well as allies. Next, we have two pounds of plastic explosives, useful for clearing out all sorts of things that may be in your way,"

"Nice," Paine smirked.

"We had another item, but Cid had it when he was kidnapped. No matter, you should do fine without it."

"Ok, we'll be leaving now. If you're coming, let's go," Paine ordered. "Get those weapons loaded up into cases so we can get going. I need to go back to the ship for a moment." Paine ran back outside towards the ship.

"Where's Cid?" Rikku asked when Paine opened the door.

"It's a very long story. I'll explain shortly. Buddy, don't take off yet, we have another passenger coming." Paine said quickly.

After about five minutes, Tobli emmerged from the warehouse, dragging two stainless steel briefcases. When he reached the airship, he handed them to Paine, who helped him aboard.

"So what did we come here for?" Yuna asked. "And what's in those cases?"

"Party favors," Paine replied.

"I brought you guys another bit of equipment," Tobli said. "Parachutes. Your'e going to fly over the Zanarkand Temple, and we'll be performing a jump. What this is called in Military RD is a **HALO jump**, which stands for High Altitude, Low Opening. What we have you do is jump from a very high altitude, and then open your parachute at a low level. This causes you to avoid any enemy detection,"

"Is'nt that a little advanced for this job?" Paine asked.

"Cid would've wanted it this way. Don't worry, everything is automatic. You just need to build up the guts to jump from about 2 thousand feet up, and free fall," Tobli explained. He opened up both briefcases. One of them contained the weapons and equipment, and the other one contained three parachutes and three helmets. Attached to the helmets where goggles, apparently for wind protection.

"Put these on, and get ready. ETA to Zanarkand in about ninety minutes. Be ready to jump before we get there," Tobli said.

"You know, I think it's time we gave this new sphere a try," Paine said. Equipping the Spy dressphere, Paine, Yuna and Rikku transformed into "spies". They donned black wetsuits and several straps, which held items such as ammunition magazines, grenades, and other spy tools. They then donned their sky-diving helmets and wind-goggles.

"Load up your guns," Paine ordered. "Now, since you two are new at being spies, just follow my lead and try not to get killed. We've just flown over Mt. Gagazet and are about to perform our jump."

Outside however, a menacing object lumbered through the Zanarkand Ruins.

"What the fuck is that?" Cloud exclaimed.

"The welcoming party," Paine said cooly. "Don't worry, we have a bomb."

The monster below appeared to be a machina, though it bared a striking familiarity.

"So much for infiltrating. We'll need to take that thing out," Tobli said.

Below, about two hundred feet, a menacing machina walked about. This was however no little machina. The new threat, complete with that same old massive gun and black wings. Their adversary, Vegnagun, let out an ear splitting screech as it spotted its prey.

**To Be Continued**

**Author's Note: ** The term "HALO" jump does not come from the game Halo. In fact it was a true maneuver, which was sucessfully mastered during some time in the early 70's, which was used to drop in on enemy territory without being picked up on radar. However, in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, the game begins with you dropping in over Soviet Territory using the HALO jump (High Altitiude, Low Opening) meaning that they drop from thousands of feet up, and open their parachute below enemy radar. Anyway, stay tuned for an update relatively soon!

-yo' pal, Gigaknight


	13. Chapter 13: The Gambit

**Final Fantasy: The Chronicles Of Paine Chapter 13**

"Vegnagun?" Yuna gasped.

"This is ok, it just means that Fayth anticipated our attack. He won't have a backup plan because he's depending on Vegnagun," Paine replied.

"Oh, thanks, I feel much better," Yuna sighed.

"We can take it out," Rikku said quietly.

"How?" Yuna asked.

"Tobli gave us a bomb," Rikku said.

"No," Paine said. "We should save the bomb. Me may need it later on."

"Hey, Cid used to keep rockets on this airship, right? We could use them take out Vegnagun!" Yuna suggested.

"True, but just how did it get here, anyway? That's what I want to know," Rikku queried.

"We'll worry about that later," Paine answered. "Brother, Buddy, we're going to fire on that thing. With the right ammount of firepower, we should be able to take it out."

"Aye aye," Buddy replied. Brother, however, at the sight of Vegnagun, appeared to have soiled himself.

"Opening rocket bay-doors, standbye for engagement," Buddy called out.

"Take us down lower, we need to get closer to that thing," Paine ordered.

"This reminds me of when we first went to Bevelle, years ago," Rikku said darkly.

"The doors are open, waiting for orders, Paine," Buddy called out.

"This is just like the time we fought Vegnagun before. Take out it's tail, its legs, its body, and then its head. If this is like the last one, then I'm willing to bet there's a massive gun under there. Once we get a little closer, hit it with everything we've got," Paine ordered.

Cid's airship quickly descended through the dark and dreary sky. As the ship made its approach, Vegnagun opened fire. The ship veered left and right, dodging the dangerous magic shots.

"Take out its tail. That is Vegnagun's second biggest threat," Paine said. With that, Buddy unleashed a barrage of missiles at Vegnagun's tale. The large, steel monster made an attempt to dodge the shots, but ended up catching most of the rockets with its tail and lower body, nearly tripping it.

"Give me a sec, it's gotta reload," Buddy said.

After a few moments, he launched a second wave of rockets, which connected head on with its tail, which then exploded and crumbled to ash.

"Nice shooting, Buddy. Keep going, hit the legs next," Paine ordered. However while they waited for the guns to load up again, a stray shot from Vegnagun's blasters collided with the Ship. Though they were rattled, the Gullwings seemed to be ok, though the once beautiful, bright yellow ship had plumes of flame and smoke emanating from the rear. At this point, Brother looked like he could vomit.

"Oh crap," Buddy groaned.

"What?!" Paine asked.

"We're screwed," Buddy replied. The ship had caught fire, and was losing altitute rapidly. "If you have a plan, now would be a great time for suggestions."

For a long and painful moment, it seemed that they were, in fact, screwed. Paine began to sweat bullets, wondering how they would make it out of this. At a descent of nearly 150 miles per hour, they were plummeting to their demise. The upside? They were headed directly for Vegnagun, and if they didn't figure something out, they would land right on top of it, surely destroying the threat. However they would be forever implanted in the ground.

However, just as they appeared to be beaten, a much larger airship soared out of nowhere, and got right beneath the falling aircraft, catching them.

"What just happened? Are we dead?" Cloud exclaimed. Paine peeked out the cockpit window, and noticed they had in fact, been caught by a large airship. However, Paine recognised the airship, and somewhat wished they had fallen to their deaths. Complete with an indigo-coloured paint job, they were sitting on top the Leblanc Syndicate airship. Leblanc's voice came over the ship's radio.

"I didn't want to save you Dullwings, and could easily have allowed you to become a smoking hole in the ground, however, I have some unfinished business with Paine."

Paine quietly uttered an obscenity to herself. Picking up the microphone, she spoke to Leblanc. "How did you know we were here?"

"I got an email from Barthello and Dona, saying they were coming to help save the world, and I thought if I helped out, you would owe me a favour," Leblanc replied.

"I see, would that favour include me sending you to the farplane?" Paine shot back.

"You are in no position to bargain, and what you do for me is my choice," she explained.

"Indeed it is, however it would be wise to discuss business elsewhere," Paine said, referring to Vegnagun.

"Don't worry about him, we can take it out. You three need to get inside and save the world, so that you and I can finish our business," she said. Paine shut off the mic and zipped up her spy uniform. Tightening her goggles, she took out one of her pistols from the briefcase, fitted it with a silencer and then holstered it.

"This is it," she said. "Can you do this?"

"Do we have a choice?" Rikku asked.

"No," Paine replied. "Now let's get to work." Paine motioned for them toward to rear hatch, and released the hatch. Gazing out over the Leblanc ship's fuselage, she took one last look at the rest of the team.

"Buddy, me, Rikku and Yuna are going out onto the wing. Once we're outside, I want you to Leblanc to fly her ship up to about 2,000 feet. When we reach that height, give us a signal so we can jump," Paine instructed. Just before she stepped out, Tobli approached her from behind and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Yeah?" Paine answered.

"I forgot to give these to you earlier. They're two-way radios so we can keep in touch. Good luck out there, to all of you," Tobli said. Paine took the three radios from him and handed one to each of her teammates. She looked very nervous, as this was her biggest mission that she had been in charge of. She gave Tobli a thumbs up and lowered herself out of Cid's airship and onto Leblanc's ship.

"Come on!" She called out to Yuna and Rikku, who followed behind. The hatch closed behind them, and they felt the icy bite of the cold wind blowing against their faces. Paine pulled down her wind mask.

Paine knew Buddy must have sent the message to Leblanc to fly upwards, because she noticed that they were going higher. Vegnagun was still lumbering about hundreds of feet below however, and the airship seemed to be weaving in and out of it's attacks. They had reached an altitude that they could see the floating ruins of Gagazet, where they had once raced the Leblanc syndicate to the summit for a sphere, where they also tangled with Boris, the deranged arachnid. They had reached roughly 1600 feet, climbing ever closer to their jump.

"Now keep in mind," Paine yelled through the wind, "That this is a HALO jump, a high altitude, low opening jump. This is based on stealth, meaning that we're less likely to be discovered if we open out parachutes closer to the ground."

"Don't you think they already know we're here?" Rikku chimed in.

"Look, this is just the way I was taught to handle this sort of mission, plus it looks cool," Paine shrugged.

"Isn't it dangerous?" Yuna asked.

"Probably, but we're on a truce with Leblanc for the moment, and I'd rather be jumping from 2000 feet with NO parachute, but we're stuck for now," Paine sighed. The ships climbed ever higher through the clouds, and after what seemed like forever, Buddy's voice came over the ship's radio system: "We've reached our maximum altitude, get ready to jump," He ordered. "Now spread your winds and fly."

_**To be continued**_


End file.
